Vibratory transfer chute



p 1964 v. GREGOR 3,146,915

VIBRATORY TRANSFER CHUTE Filed Oct. 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

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United States Patent 3,146,915 VIBRATORY TRANSFER CHUTE Vaughn Gregor,5524 Green Oak Drive, Hollywood 28, Calif. Filed Oct. 26, 1962, Ser. No.233,323 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-161) This invention relates to a novelvibratory transfer chute having a material raking and shaping rotor.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an improvedmethod and a more practical and eflicient device of the kind indicated,for transferring non-free flowing material, such as macaroni,vegetables, and others, from scaling or measuring devices, withoutbridging or clogging in the chute, in a gravitationally moved stream ofpredetermined cross section, as for filling tubular bags.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter indicated above, in which the chute is inclined, and in whichthe rotor extends horizontally across the lower end of the chute and haslongitudinally spaced groups of circumferentially spaced teeth, theteeth at the sides of the chute being of greatest length and theremaining teeth progressively reduced in length toward the middle of therotor, whereby a discharging stream of material is forcibly shaped tothe contour of the chute bottom while being forcibly shaped to thecontour of the rotor.

A further object of the invention is the provision, in a device of thecharacter indicated above, of a rotor which acts to restrict the amountof flow of material from the discharge end of the chute by raking thematerial in a retrograde direction, and to break up and rake thematerial in a manner to prevent its clogging and bridging the chute.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a mounted device of the presentinvention, a stream of discharged material therefrom being shown inphantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a right-hand end elevation of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse section taken onthe line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken on theline 66 of FIGURE 4; and,

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line7--7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated devicecomprises an elongated rectangular base 10 having a declining top wall12, and lateral flanges 14 at the lower edges of its sidewalls which areadapted to be secured, as by means of bolts 16 to a horizontal support18. Longitudinally centered and spaced upwardly tapering coil springs 20are suitably fixed to and extending upwardly from and normal to the basetop wall 12, and are suitably fixed to the underside of an elongatedstraight lower bar 22 of a vibratory frame 24.

The frame 24 further comprises upstanding perpendicular members 26,spaced along and fixed to the bar 22, and suitably fixed, at their upperends, to the underside of an elongated straight upper bar 28, which hasa centered line of spaced bolt holes 30 extending therethrough. Theupper and lower frame bars are in parallel relationship and decline inparallel spaced relation to the top wall 12 of the base 10. Aconventional electric ice vibrator 25 is fixedly mounted upon the lowerbar 22, upwardly of the upper one of the members 26.

A straight trough support bar 32, longer than the upper frame bar 28,and having its elevated end portion bearing upon the upper surface ofthe upper bar 28, ex tends forwardly below the lower end of the upperbar, and is secured to the upper bar by means of bolts 34 extendingthrough the bolt holes 30. A trough 36 of inverted triangular profile,has an arcuate concave bottom wall 38 suitably fixed to and extendingalong and forwardly below the support bar 32, and fiat parallelupstanding side walls 40.

The forward end of the trough 36 is closed by a forward end wall 42,which is normal to the bottom wall 38, and is provided with a centeredvertical, closed adjustment slot 44, in its upper part, through whichextends a bolt 46 provided with a wing nut 48, which bears against theouter surface of the end wall, and carries a rotor frame 50, within thelower end of the trough.

The rotor frame 50 is U-shaped and comprises a straight fiat crossmember 51 which bears against the inward surface of the end wall 42 andis fixed to the bolt 46, and has downwardly angled flat arms 52, on itsends, which bear against the inward surfaces of the trough side walls40. The arms 52, as shown in FIG- URES 4 and 6, are formed withvertically elongated indentations 54, which, at their lower ends, opento the lower edges of the arms.

The indentations 54 are formed, in their bottom walls 56, with journalholes 58, through which a rotor shaft 60 is journalled. The shaft 60has, on one end thereof, a collar 62, held in place by a set screw 64,which bears against the bottom wall of the indentation of one of therotor frame arms 52. A Washer 66 on the shaft bears against the bottomwall of the other indentation and is held in place by a cotter pin 68extending through the shaft. The shaft 60 extends laterally outwardlyfrom the trough 36, through a vertical clearance slot 70, in theadjacent trough side wall, and has a free end 72. A coupling 74 connectsthe free end to the adjacent end of a flexible shaft 76, whose other endis connected to the shaft of a reversible electric motor 78, mounted onthe support 18.

The rotor comprises the shaft 60 and substantially equally spacedcircumferential rows of equally circumferentially spaced straight, flatand radial rectangular teeth 82, on tubular hubs 84, which arecircumposed on the shaft 60, between the identations 54 and are securedin place, as by means of set screws 86.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the rotor teeth 82 next to the indentations 54 areof maximum length, and the teeth therebetween are reduced progressivelyin length toward the middle row of teeth, so that the periphery of therotor 80 is concave. The rotor teeth 82 are spaced upwardly from thetrough bottom wall, and the radius of curvature thereof is smaller thanthe radius of curvature of the bottom wall. The rotor frame 50 and hencethe rotor 80, is vertically adjustable, relative to the trough bottomwall, for the purpose of providing a regulated flow of materialdownwardly along the trough for discharge therefrom.

The lower part of the trough end wall is formed with a centered circulardischarge opening 88 around which is suitably fixed the elevated end ofa forwardly declining arm 90 of a discharge spout 92, which has apendant perpendicular lower arm 94 which is open at its lower end. Thespout arms 90 and 92 are cylindrical in cross section, to produce agravity flow stream 96 of discharged material, of cylindrical crosssection.

The motor 78 is reversible for the purpose of reversing the normalclockwise direction of rotation of the rotor 80, as indicated in FIGURES1 and 6, and producing counter raking of the material in the trough 36,for breaking up unusual bridging and clogging thereof. The operation ofthe vibrator 25 and the resilience of the trough supporting springs 20,produces vertical vibration of the trough, which acts to facilitaterequlated sliding of material introduced from the upper end of thetrough, down to the lower end of the trough and into the discharge spout92.

The counter-rotation of the rotor 80 relative to the direction ofmovement of material downwardly within the trough 36, breaks up thematerial, to prevent clogging and bridging thereof in the trough, and atthe same time, shapes the top of the material to the cross section ofthe discharge spout, therebetween facilitating and regulating the amountof and the rate of movement of material through the spout, into acontainer, such as a tubular bag, supported to the lower end of thespout.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer chute comprising a support, a base fixed upon the supportand having a forwardly declining top wall, upstanding spring means fixedupon said top wall, a vibrator equipped trough mounted upon saidsprings, said trough having a forwardly declining bottom wall andupstanding side walls, an end wall closing the lower end of the troughand providing a discharge opening, a rotor journalled across the lowerend of the trough, said rotor having longitudinally spacedcircumferential rows of teeth spaced therearound, said rotor beingspaced above the trough bottom wall, and means for rotating the rotor,the outer rows of rotor teeth being of maximum length and a center rowof minimum length, the intervening rows being progressively smaller fromthe outer rows to the center row.

2. A transfer chute comprising a support, a base fixed upon the supportand having a forwardly declining top wall, upstanding spring means fixedupon said top wall, a vibrator equipped trough mounted upon saidsprings, said trough having a forwardly declining bottom wall andupstanding side walls, an end wall closing the lower end of the troughand provided with a discharge opening, a rotor journalled across thelower end of the trough, said rotor having longitudinally spacedcircumferential rows of teeth spaced therearound, said rotor beingspaced above the trough bottom wall, and means for rotating the rotor,the trough bottom wall being concave, the outer rows of rotor teethbeing of maximum length and a center row of minimum length, theintervening rows of teeth being progressively smaller in length than theouter rows and imparting a concave contour to the rotor opposed to theconcavity of the trough bottom.

3. A transfer chute comprising a support, a base fixed upon the supportand having a forwardly declining top wall, upstanding spring means fixedupon said top wall, a vibrator equipped trough mounted upon saidsprings, said trough having a forwardly declining bottom wall andupstanding side walls, an end wall closing the lower end of the troughand provided with a discharge opening, a rotor journalled across thelower end of the trough, said rotor having longitudinally spacedcircumferential rows of teeth spaced therearound, said rotor beingspaced above the trough bottom wall, and means for rotating the rotor,the trough bottom wall being concave, the outer rows of rotor teethbeing of maximum length and a center row of minimum length, theintervening rows of teeth being progressively smaller in length than theouter rows and imparting a concave contour to the rotor opposed to theconcavity of the trough bottom, said teeth being radial, straight, andof flat rectangular shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,269,357 Wright June 11, 1918 1,327,612v Cox Jan. 13, 1920 1,415,146Casler May 9, 1922 2,342,116 Broekhuysen Feb. 22, 1944 2,439,014Luhrmann Apr. 6, 1948 2,781,994 Lindstaedt Feb. 19, 1957

1. A TRANSFER CHUTE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, A BASE FIXED UPON THE SUPPORTAND HAVING A FORWARDLY DECLINING TOP WALL UPSTANDING SPRING MEANS FIXEDUPON SAID TOP WALL, A VIBRATOR EQUIPPED TROUGH MOUNTED UPON SAIDSPRINGS, SAID TROUGH HAVING A FORWARDLY DECLINING BOTTOM WALL ANDUPSTANDING SIDE WALLS, AN END WALL CLOSING THE LOWER END OF THE TROUGHAND PROVIDING A DISCHARGE OPENING, A ROTOR JOURNALLED ACROSS THE LOWEREND OF THE TROUGH, SAID ROTOR HAVING LONGITUDINALLY SPACEDCIRCUMFERENTIAL ROWS OF TEETH SPACED THEREAROUND, SAID ROTOR BEINGSPACED ABOVE THE TROUGH BOTTOM WALL, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE ROTOR,THE OUTER ROWS OF ROTOR TEETH BEING OF MAXIMUM LENGTH AND A CENTER ROWOF MINIMUM LENGTH, THE INTERVENING ROWS BEING PROGRESSIVELY SMALLER FROMTHE OUTER ROWS TO THE CENTER ROW.